Customers are being asked to donate at Leeds Building Society branches this Christmas to help Age UK support lonely older people during the festive season.

All the Society’s branches are supporting the charity’s ‘No one should have no one at Christmas’ campaign until Friday 6 January 2017 to help the charity continue to provide companionship, advice and support for the millions who have no one to turn to.

1.2 million older people in England are chronically lonely and have been coping with loneliness for years^[i]. This is why Age UK launched its ‘No one should have no one at Christmas’ campaign to raise awareness of the silent suffering that many older people endure as they face the festive season alone. Through the campaign, the Charity is urging people to pledge their support to donate, volunteer and get involved atwww.ageuk.org.uk/no-one.

“Customers and colleagues are consistently generous in their support for our charitable activity all year round, and we hope they will donate cash to support lonely older people in their local communities at this time of festive goodwill,” said Graham Binns, Leeds Building Society’s head of branch network.

Leeds Building Society is a long standing supporter of Age UK and recently donated £4,637 to the charity, which is 1% of the average balances in all Caring Saver accounts split equally between its four charity partners.

This presentation was made during Age UK’s ‘Love Christmas 2016’ Carol service at Cadogan Hall in London.

Pictured (L-R):  Lizzie Bekhradnia (strategic partnerships manager, Age UK), Actress Amanda Redman MBE, Farheen Zafar (Watford branch manager, Leeds Building Society) and Nayna Patel (London branch manager, Leeds Building Society).